Rugby

The 2024/25 European Champions Cup begins at the weekend, with Munster, Leinster and Ulster all in action (Connacht will compete in the second-tier competition, the Challenge Cup). The format is (as it has been for several years now) unnecessarily complicated – 24 teams were drawn into four groups of six sides, though each team will only play four group matches. Four teams from each group qualify for the knock-out stage – with the decider next May in Cardiff. – RTÉ & Premier Sports, Dec 6th-May 24th

Snooker

A tournament for those who like watching snooker, but would prefer it faster, shorter and more exciting. First staged more than a decade ago, the Shoot Out at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester has several rules changes to what you are used to – including matches lasting a maximum of 10 minutes, and a shot clock of 15 seconds for the first five minutes and then just 10 seconds for the last five. – Wednesday-Saturday, Eurosport

Athletics

The 2024 European Cross Country Championships take place in Turkey on Sunday. Athletics Ireland are sending a squad of 36 – including national champions Keelan Kilrehill and Ann Marie McGlynn – to Antalya for the 30th edition of the championships. – Sunday, RTÉ Player & BBC

MONDAY (Dec 2nd)

• NFL – Sky Sports NFL – 1.20am 49ers @ Bills
• POOL – Sky Sports+, 6pm-11pm Mosconi Cup
• SOCCER – Premier Sports 1 – La Liga – 8pm Sevilla v Osasuna
• GAA – TG4, 8pm-9pm Club highlights

TUESDAY (Dec 3rd)

• NBA – TNT Sports 2 – 1am Lakers @ Timberwolves
• NFL – Sky Sports NFL – 1.15am Browns @ Broncos
• SOCCER – BBC Alba – Women’s Euro Qualifier Play-off – 5.15pm Finland v Scotland
• SOCCER – RTÉ 2 & BBC Three – Women’s Euro Qualifier Play-off – 7.30pm Republic of Ireland v Wales
• POOL – Sky Sports+, 6pm-10.30pm Mosconi Cup
• SOCCER – Amazon Prime – Premier League – 7.30pm Ipswich Town v Crystal Palace
• SOCCER – ITV4 – Women’s international – 7.45pm England v Switzerland
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – League 1 – 8pm Huddersfield v Wigan
• SOCCER – Premier Sports 1 & Amazon Prime – Premier League – 8.15pm Leicester v West Ham

WEDNESDAY (Dec 4th)

• NBA – TNT Sports 1 – 0.30am Magic @ Knicks
• CRICKET – Sky Sports Cricket from 11.30am – 1st ODI Women: South Africa v England
• SNOOKER – Eurosport 1, 12.45pm-5pm, 6.45pm-11pm – Leicester Shoot-Out
• SOCCER – Amazon Prime – Premier League – 7.30pm Everton v Wolves, 7.30pm Man City v Nottingham Forest, 7.30pm Newcastle v Liverpool, 7.30pm Southampton v Chelsea, 8.15pm Aston Villa v Brentford
• SOCCER – Sky Sports+ – Championship – 7.45pm Birmingham v Stockport Co
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – Scottish Premiership – 8pm Aberdeen v Celtic
• SOCCER – Premier Sports 1 & Amazon Prime – Premier League – 8.15pm Arsenal v Man Utd
• SOCCER – BBC 1, 10.40pm-0.10am Match of the Day

THURSDAY (Dec 5th)

• NBA – TNT Sports 1 – 0.30am Lakers @ Heat
• GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 9am-2.30pm Nedbank Golf Challenge
• SNOOKER – Eurosport 1, 12.45pm-5pm, 6.45pm-11pm – Leicester Shoot-Out
• GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 6.30pm-9.30pm Hero World Challenge
• SOCCER – Amazon Prime – Premier League – 7.30pm Fulham v Brighton
• SOCCER – Premier Sports 1 – Premier League – 8.15pm Bournemouth v Tottenham
• CRICKET – TNT Sports 1 from 9.30pm – 2nd Test, D1 New Zealand v England

FRIDAY (Dec 6th)

• NBA – TNT Sports 2 – Midnight Nuggets @ Cavaliers
• NFL – Sky Sports NFL – 1.15am Packers @ Lions
• F1 – Sky Sports F1 from 9am – Practice Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
• GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 9am-2.30pm Nedbank Golf Challenge
• SNOOKER – Eurosport 1, 12.45pm-5pm, 6.45pm-11pm – Leicester Shoot-Out
• SOCCER – TNT Sports 1 – Serie A – 5.30pm Atalanta v AC Milan
• GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 6.30pm-9.30pm Hero World Challenge
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – Championship – 8pm Burnley v Middlesbrough
• RUGBY – Premier Sports 1 – Champions Cup – 8pm Bath v La Rochelle
• RUGBY – Premier Sports 2 – Challenge Cup – 8pm Gloucester v Edinburgh
• CYCLING – Eurosport 2, 8pm-11pm – London Track Champions League
• CRICKET – TNT Sports 1 from 9.45pm – 2nd Test, D2 New Zealand v England

SATURDAY (Dec 7th)

• NBA – TNT Sports 3 – 0.30am Bucks @ Celtics, 3am Timberwolves @ Warriors
• GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 9am-2.30pm Nedbank Golf Challenge
• F1 – Sky Sports F1 from 10.30am – Practice & Qualifying Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
• SOCCER – TNT Sports 1 – Premier League – 12.30pm Everton v Liverpool
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – Championship – 12.30pm Leeds Utd v Derby Co
• SOCCER – Sky Sports+ – Championship – 12.30pm Sheffield Wednesday v Preston NE
• SNOOKER – Eurosport 1, 12.45pm-5pm, 6.45pm-11pm – Leicester Shoot-Out
• RUGBY Premier Sports 2 – Champions Cup – 1pm Sharks v Exeter, 3.15pm Northampton v Castres, 5.30pm Saracens v Bulls, 8pm Glasgow v Sale
• RACING – ITV4, 1pm-4pm; Virgin Media One, 1.30pm-4.05pm Sandown Park
• SOCCER – Premier Sports 1 – Premier League – 3pm Crystal Palace v Man City
• GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 5pm-10pm Hero World Challenge
• RUGBY – RTÉ 2 & Premier Sports 1 – Champions Cup – 5.30pm Munster v Stade Francais
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Premier League – 5.30pm Man Utd v Nottingham Forest
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – Bundesliga – 5.30pm Borussia M’gladbach v Borussia Dortmund
• NBA – TNT Sports 1 – 6pm Cavaliers @ Hornets
• BOXING – TNT Sports 2 from 6pm – London Brad Pauls v Denzel Bentley
• CYCLING – Eurosport 2, 6.30pm-9.30pm – London Track Champions League
• RUGBY – Premier Sports 1 – Challenge Cup – 8pm Connacht v Zebre
• CRICKET – TNT Sports 1 from 9.45pm – 2nd Test, D3 New Zealand v England
• SOCCER – BBC 1, 10.25pm-11.35pm Match of the Day

SUNDAY (Dec 8th)

• BOXING – Sky Sports+ from 1.30am – Phoenix Emanuel Navarrete v Oscar Valdez
• UFC – TNT Sports 2 from 3am – Nevada Belal Muhammad v Shavkat Rakhmonov
• RACING – Virgin Media Two, 6am-9.20am Hong Kong International Series
• ATHLETICS – BBC Red Button, 7.55am-1.30pm; BBC 2, 4.05pm-5.10pm; RTÉ Player from 7.50am – Turkey European Cross Country
• CRICKET – Sky Sports Cricket from 7.40am – 2nd ODI Women: South Africa v England
• GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 9am-2.30pm Nedbank Golf Challenge
• F1 – Sky Sports F1 from 11.30am Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
• SOCCER – Sky Sports+ & Showcase – Women’s Super League – Noon Man Utd v Liverpool
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – Scottish Premiership – Noon Ross Co v Rangers
• RACING – RTÉ 2, 1pm-3.05pm – Cork Hilly Way Chase
• RUGBY – Premier Sports 1 – Champions Cup – 1pm Bordeaux Bègles v Leicester, 3.15pm Toulouse v Ulster, 5.30pm Bristol v Leinster
• SOCCER – Premier Sports 2 – La Liga – 1pm Leganés v Real Sociedad
• GAA – TG4 – Munster Club SFC Final – 1.30pm Loughmore v Dr Crokes; Ulster Club SFC Final – 3.30pm Errigal Ciarán v Kilcoo
• RACING – ITV4, 1.30pm-4pm Huntingdon & Kelso
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Premier League – 2pm Fulham v Arsenal, 4.30pm Tottenham v Chelsea
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – Bundesliga – 2.30pm Wolfsburg v Mainz 05, 4.30pm Hoffenheim v Freiburg
• SOCCER – Sky Sports+ – Championship – 3pm West Brom v Sheffield Utd
• RUGBY – Premier Sports 2 – Challenge Cup – 3.15pm Ospreys v Lions
• GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 4.30pm-9.30pm Hero World Challenge
• SOCCER – Premier Sports 2 – La Liga – 5.30pm Osasuna v Deportivo Alavés, 8pm Atlético Madrid v Sevilla
• NFL – Sky Sports NFL – 6pm Falcons @ Vikings, 9.25pm Bills @ Rams, 1.20am Chargers @ Chiefs
• NBA – TNT Sports 3 – 8.30pm Bucks @ Nets
• CRICKET – TNT Sports 1 from 9.45pm – 2nd Test, D4 New Zealand v England
• SOCCER – BBC 1, 11.15pm-0.35am Match of the Day 2